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Saturday, August 11, 2012

Stoning Teachers Raises Some Eyebrows - with Updates

Have folks gotten wind of this? It is all so outrageous. Read all the stories leading up to this "Teacher Rock" concert to supposedly honor teachers—despite an advertisement that calls for throwing real rocks at teachers. And the concert is being put together by the same people who did 'Waiting for Superman.'' How violent and hostile toward our teachers. So toxic. So vile. There are some real losers in this story.-Angela

Los
Angeles– When
nineteen-year-old Marsha Felton of Santa Monica heard about a concert honoring teachers, she
wanted to go. After all her mother Jane is a public school teacher. This may account for why
she was so angry when she came across an on-line advertisement for “Teachers Rock.” "I couldn't
believe what I was reading. It
just seemed wrong.”

What
bothered Ms. Felton lies in the fine print at the bottom of the concert promotion. Alongside
food and tee-shirt vendors is listed an entertainment booth entitled
"Rock-a-Teacher.” Further description reads, “Like an old fashioned
dunking booth only better. Live
teachers. Real stones. C’mon, you know you’ve always wanted to.”

Marsha was shocked. “I read it over and over again." She began to spread her rage, as so
many do, by sending a Tweet that linked to the advertisement and
read, "Teachers Rock=Rocks@Teachers.”

Almost
as quick as you can say, “publicity gaffe,” Randi Weingarten, President of the
American Federation of Teachers, began to rally her troops. "This is outrageous!" was the
opening salvo in a daunting and unrelenting number of emails sent from
Weingarten's Twitter account complaining about the planned stoning.
Concert producers Walmart and Walden Media and CBS, which is supposed to
broadcast the concert later this month, have been swamped with vitriolic
communications from labor leaders and their constituents demanding the booth be
removed. “I will nevr by yr
resnbly priced scool supplies again,” threatened @CheapTechr in a Tweet
directed at Walmart.

While
no decision has been made about the fate of the booth, CBS, Walmart and Walden Media
issued a joint statement, which read, “The matter is currently under
examination.”-----

Update: Stars Threaten to WalkAugust 10, 2012 9:00am ESTLos Angeles -
TMZ is reporting that several stars scheduled to appear at the
"Teachers Rock" concert have threatened to pull out if teachers are
actually rocked. According to TMZ sources, Leslee Dart, Meryl Streep's
publicist, made a fury-filled phone call to CBS, which is scheduled to
record and broadcast the concert later this month. She is quoted as
screaming at CBS President and CEO Les Moonves, "Meryl's in a god damn
union for Christ's sake. She has to work with Teamsters. Damn right
she wants this rectified." No word yet on Moonves' reaction. Also
unhappy about the "sport" of stoning teachers is Josh Groban. People
magazine is reporting that Groban expressed his concerns to Walmart and
Walden Media producers after getting an earful from his
art teacher mom. According to sources close to the star, Groban's
mother is angry about more than just the stoning booth. She objects to
the entire event which is a publicity vehicle for the movie "Don't Give
Up." "I don't want you lending your time and talents to a movie that
glorifies yet another way to turn public schools over to charter
chains," Lindy Groban is reported as saying. "They can call it whatever
they want, but this concert is not about honoring teachers. It's being
put together by the same people who did 'Waiting for Superman.'"---------

Update: No Rocks AllowedAugust 10, 2012 4:35pm ESTLos Angeles -
Well that didn't take long. After receiving hundreds of thousands of
phone calls, emails, on-line petitions and tweets, the concert producers
of "Teachers Rock" waved the white flag. Through a Walden Media and
Walmart spokesperson, it was announced moments ago that the
Rock-a-Teacher booth will no longer be a part of the concert event.
Reading from a prepared statement, the spokesperson said, "No teachers
will be harmed during the concert. Not in a booth. Not by a youth. Not
in the parking lot. Not by an angry tot. Not here. Not there. Not
anywhere.Les Moonves, President and CEO of CBS, is expected to issue a formal apology tomorrow.

Reality Alert: Interested in how we came to write this? Read Diane Ravitch here.